An investigation of experienced secondary science teachers' beliefs about inquiry: An examination of competing belief sets

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs of six experienced high school science teachers about (1) what is successful science learning; (2) what are the purposes of laboratory in science teaching; and (3) how inquiry is implemented in the classroom. An interpretive multiple case study with an ethnographic orientation was used. The teachers' beliefs about successful science learning were substantively linked to their beliefs about laboratory and inquiry implementation. For example, two teachers who believed that successful science learning was deep conceptual understanding, used verification labs primarily to illustrate these concepts and used inquiry as a type of isolated problem‐solving experience. Another teacher who believed that successful science learning was enculturation into scientific practices used inquiry‐based labs extensively to teach the practices of science. Tension in competing beliefs sets and implications for reform are discussed. ? 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 936‐960, 2004.     

The Influence of Risk Factors on Preschoolers’ Spanish Vocabulary Development in the Context of Spanish Instruction

Research Findings: This longitudinal study investigated the Spanish vocabulary development of dual-language-learning (DLL) children (N = 150) from Spanish-speaking, low-income, predominantly immigrant homes who were enrolled in a state-funded preschool program that provided instruction in Spanish. Children’s Spanish vocabulary trajectories were examined, as were patterns of co-occurring risk. In addition, the relation of individual and cumulative risk factors at preschool entry on Spanish vocabulary development was explored. Findings reveal that, on average, children’s receptive Spanish vocabulary skills, which started below age-level norms at the beginning of the preschool year, grew to surpass age-level norms by the end of the year. These gains were made despite children facing, on average, eight risk factors. The investigation of patterns of co-occurring risk and the effect of individual risk factors on Spanish vocabulary outcomes reveal that some social risk factors, such as having an unemployed parent, might function as a protective factor in this population. Practice or Policy: This study paves the way for future work in determining the role of native-language instruction for supporting language growth among DLL children. In addition, it expands the research literature on the nature and influence of social and economic risks in this population of children.     

Bilingual education for majority english-speaking children

A variety of second-language program options are available to anglophone children in Montreal’s public schools: French-as-a second-language (FSL), delayed and early French immersion, and full French-medium schooling. In this research, the achievement in French, English, and mathematics of two cohorts of anglophone students in each of these program options was evaluated longitudinally through grade 6 (12 years of age). The performance of these students was compared to that of comparable anglophone and francophone control groups who were attending conventional all-English and all-French schools, respectively. In terms of approximations to native-like command of French, the French-medium option was the most effective followed by the early immersion option: students in these programs were generally indistinguishable from the French Controls on all written French language tests and in mathematics. On tests of French oral skills, however, they scored below the French Controls, the extent of disparity depending on the opportunities available for social interaction with francophones. As well, no retardation in English language development was found for any of the options, even those that provided little instruction time in English. To the contrary, anglophone students scored significantly higher than English Controls on tests of English and mathematics, and in general the more concentrated the second language component, the better they performed relative to the controls on first language skills and mathematics. The apparent transfer of competence from second language to first and the bilingual advantages involved in these results are discussed in terms of time spent on the target language, the mode of instruction, and the opportunities provided for interaction with native-speaking peers.     

The science-ethics nexus: a speculative posthumanist examination of secondary school science

Cultural Studies of Science Education - School science curricula habitually encourages students to develop science knowledge alongside ‘ethical understanding’, the moral theory of right...     

Understanding Co-Design Practice as a Process of “Welldoing”

Co-design and other associated design approaches often deploy creative and making approaches in facilitating collaborative practices. In a therapeutic setting, engagement in creative and making activities have been associated with improvements in people's well-being, yet when deploying these as part of co-design practices, these outcomes are often overlooked. This paper presents the results from a series of workshops that focused on the well-being benefits of participating in co-design practices. The research uses Max-Neef's (1991). Theory of Needs to explore how innate human needs might be satisfied through participation in co-design practices, and demonstrates how this framework might be used for planning and evaluating co-design practices through a wellbeing lens. Finally, it suggests that future generations of design practitioners would benefit from exposure to the consideration of co-design as a process of “welldoing.”     

Reasons for student dropout in an online course in a rural K–12 setting

Rural schools in the USA use online courses to overcome problems such as attracting and retaining teachers, geographic isolation, low student enrollment, and financial constraints. This paper reports on the reasons that 39% of rural high school students who enrolled in an online Advanced Placement course subsequently dropped the course. Students who dropped the course were asked to provide an email statement detailing their reasons for doing so. On-site facilitators—local staff members situated in the small rural schools where students were enrolled—also provided reasons whenever one of their students dropped the course. Results indicate that the reasons given by students and on-site facilitators for dropping the course often agreed, and tended to fall within the following five categories: scheduling and time constraints, academic rigor and motivation, technology problems, problems with online medium and lack of teacher immediacy, and parental influences.     

The Renewal of Science Teachers’ Knowledge: a pilot professional development project

This paper describes a pilot project for the professional development of science teachers, a major aim of which was to update teachers’ science content knowledge. The paper focuses on the rationale and background of the project, the model of inservice education, the arrangements for credentialling and recognising participating teachers, and the findings of the external evaluation of the initial stages of the project. It concludes with a summary of the features of the project which appear to be facilitating the achievement of its aims.     

Journaling During a School-Based Secondary Methods Course: Exploring a Route to Teaching Reflection

Journal of Science Teacher Education -